Art Smitten

This week I spoke with emerging artists Ponie Curtis and Phuong Nguyen Le, who have both recently graduated from their respective arts courses at VCA and RMIT. Joining us was Audrey Thomas-Hayes, one of the curators of DEBUT XX and artistic director at Blindside. DEBUT is Blindside Gallery’s annual exhibition of works by recent graduates from Naarm / Melbourne’s major art institutions. Celebrating its twentieth year, DEBUT is a Blindside project committed to fostering new talent. Art Smitten airs on SYN Radio 90.7 FM SYN Media acknowledges and pays respect to the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands the SYN office and studios stand. SYN and the Art Smitten team would like to further acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the Lands and Waters across Australia where our content reaches. Art Smitten would like to expand that respect to Bunjil, the great creator ancestor of the Kulin nations. Sovereignty has never been ceded. It always was and always will be, Aboriginal land. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that 2024 marks 100 years of Surrealism? I dive into the birth of Surrealism and introduce you to the terms, techniques and artists that work within the movement. Art Smitten airs on SYN Radio 90.7 FM See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I interviewed contemporary textile and embroidery artist and good friend, Louise Meuwissen. Louise and I chat about her practice in art and fashion, the art world and it’s structures and our shared love of collecting second-hand objects. A big thank you to Louise for inviting me into her space and facilitating such an interesting chat ❤️ Art Smitten airs on SYN Radio 90.7 FM SYN Media acknowledges and pays respect to the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nations on whose unceded lands the SYN office and studios stand. SYN and the Art Smitten team would like to further acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the Lands and Waters across Australia where our content reaches. Art Smitten would like to expand that respect to Bunjil, the great creator ancestor of the Kulin nations. Sovereignty has never been ceded. It always was and always will be, Aboriginal land. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I had the pleasure of speaking to local artists Jermaine Ibarra and Juliet Phraser about their exhibitions at Bus Projects. Jermaine Ibarra and Sara Jajou have a duet exhibition opening today, the 27th of March, titled Love Song open till the 20th of April. https://busprojects.org.au/program/love-song Juliet Phraser has a solo show opening today, the 27th of March, titled Warm Water where she shares her honours research - open till the 20th of April. https://busprojects.org.au/program/warm-water I was honoured to speak to both artists about their practices, their experiences and their thoughts. Art Smitten is Syn FM's flagship show for arts and culture, live on air on Wednesdays from 3pm onwards on 90.7 FM. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered why art galleries have plain white walls, bright white light, and simple minimalist decor? This interior practice has been labelled the ‘white cube’ by art writer Brian O’Doherty in his fundamental 1976 text, ‘Inside the White Cube: The Ideology of the Gallery Space.’ This week for our art history segment, Audrey dives into the concept of the 'White Cube' gallery interior, and why we now use it globally. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week our new Executive Producer, Audrey, delved into Romanticism and the Sublime, starting with history of the movement and then discussing Neo-Romanticism in art. Ending with an idea of a 'New Romanticim' in contemporary Australian art, one that you can take with you on your upcoming gallery visits. Artworks discussed in this segment were: Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1818 Théodore Géricault, Raft of Medusa, 1819 Henry Moore’s graphic drawings of war-time air raid shelters Paul Nash, Pillar and Moon from 1932-42 Exhibitions A New Romance at the National Gallery of Australia in 1987 and The Sublime Imperative at ACCA in 1991 Imants Tillers, Mount Analogue, 1985 Eugene von Guérard's North-East View From the Northern Top of Mount Kosciusko from 1863 Irene Hanenbergh’s work, sepcifically at ‘dirty borrowed stardust’ exhibition at Neon Parc Gallery Samantha Hobson, Burning Grass Season, 2019 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour of the Wolf creator and director Matthew Lutton joined Zack and Josh to discuss the immersive theatre production. A follow-up to 2021's Because the Night, Hour of the Wolf invites audiences to walk around the town and experience mystery first-hand. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jye Walker, actor behind the devilish Captain Hook in The Mount Players Theatre Company's musical rendition of Peter Pan, joined the show to talk about playing the classic villain. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedian Jude Perl joined the show to talk about her new record and web-series SugarHope Records. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zack and Josh were joined by Naarm-based artist, performer, and dancer MaggZ to talk about their instillation at the Immigration Museum, New Reality. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick recently watched Filterphonic and Sexagenarian, two films by Melbourne-based filmmaker Lee Galea. Find Nick's thoughts here, and make sure to check out our interview with Lee on the production of the films. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Head First Acrobats are a Melbourne based theatre company putting on head-spinning shows this Fringe Festival. Company manager and producer Thomas Gorham joined Zack and Ben to talk about Head First Acrobats shows Godz, PreHysterical, and Crème de la crème. Godz takes a comedic spin (emphasis on the spinning) to Greek mythology, PreHysterical offers a show for the younger crowd and Crème de la crème features various artists from Fringe Festival in one cabaret show. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abigail Banister-Jones returns to the SYN studios, this time to talk about her one-woman show The Story of Cerberus: A Very Good Boy. Set in the fantastical world of Greek mythology, Cerberus stars Abigail playing all three heads of the guardian of the Underworld. She sat down with Zack and Ben to talk about creating and performing a solo show, characterising the three heads of the monstrous dog, and of course the pets that inspired the show. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Composer Alice Chance spoke to Zack about her upcoming performance Heirloom. Part of Rubiks Collective's Towards Home, Heirloom is about capturing the relationships between mothers and daughters through music. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shakespeare's stories are timeless, being retold and adapted for new audiences constantly. Matthew Connell, a member of Melbourne Shakespeare Company, is playing Brutus in a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Zack talked to Matthew about his relationship with the poet's works and what it's like to take on iconic roles in the present day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lee Galea is an award-winning Australian indie filmmaker. Known for films such as Monster Pies and The Neon Spectrum, and current director of queer TV series Single, Out, Lee's work has been shown all around the world. Zack joined Lee to talk about his latest film release, Filterphonic and Sexagenarian. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zack and Ben joined Brandon Pape, artistic director at Antipodes Theatre Company, who talks about adapting the classic show Guys and Dolls. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Art Smitten is back for its third season of 2023! Join Ben as he goes over the only movie that actually matters - Barbie! He also gives a review of Rocky Horror, talks casting "what ifs?" and goes over all the things he's seen recently. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zack sat down with Scott Wilson at Metro Comic Con to talk about the Indigiverse: The oldest living cultures inspiring the newest living heroes. Scott talks about his own love of comics and the stories that inspired him to create the first Aboriginal superhero universe. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comics artist Daniel Picciotto spoke to Zack about his time in the industry and the many stories he's worked on. Daniel is currently an artist on Marvel's Ghost Rider and previously worked on Phantom. You can listen to Art Smitten live every Saturday from 12pm on SYN 90.7. Get in touch with the show on our Instagram @artsmittensyn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.